Ashraf used fake names and addresses to make 70 policies and more than 50 fake claims for lost or stolen high value items. She attempted to steal £179,000 and had successfully received £50,000 when her fraud was discovered.

After the Grenfell Tower fire, she made three claims, stating she was visiting family and lost personal items in the fire, and also claimed to have lost possessions running away from the London Bridge terror attack.

She joins a long list of other fraudsters to exploit the tragic fire at the Grenfell Tower (Image: Victoria Jones/PA Wire)

The head of counter fraud and financial crime at insurance company Royal Sun Alliance, John Beadle said: “This woman ruthlessly manipulated insurance companies to feed her own greed, taking out insurance policies in false names and then making up completely fictitious claims, exploiting insurers’ desire to do the best for their customers by settling claims as quickly as possible.

“In order to ensure she got money to which she was not entitled as quickly as possible, she even cynically made up claims connected to various terrorist incidents and other disasters, such as at the MEN arena, Borough Market and even Grenfell Tower.

"She did this knowing that insurers were likely to quickly settle claims in order to minimise further stress for their customers.

"On the spectrum of cynical and calculated dishonesty in respect of insurance fraud, this must rank amongst the very worst kind."

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The Royal Sun Alliance (RSA) brought Ashraf to the attention of City of London Police after their internal fraud identification procedures noticed similarities in claims made against policies from supposedly different people.

Despite the fact she used different addresses for each claim, the Insurance Fraud Bureau was able to confirm her home address using a data protection address, which demonstrated that the group of bank accounts connected to the policies originated from her.

Ashraf was arrested in 2016 but answered "no comment" to all questions in an interview and was released under investigation.

Further investigation revealed a number of other fraudulent claims against Aviva Insurance and Legal and General, identified after both companies noticed a spike in claims for the loss or theft of high value items, predominantly in the Edinburgh area.

A search warrant was executed at both Ashraf's home and a relative's address, where she was found locked in a bedroom, seemingly trying to hide items within the room.

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Detective Constable Pete Gartland, who led the investigation, said: "It's clear that Ashraf is a heartless and selfish individual. She had no qualms in exploiting these tragic events to make a financial gain, showing no empathy for the families of those who lost their lives in some horrific circumstances.

“Her fraudulent activity also impacts the general public, causing insurance premiums to rise for everyone."